The last few minutes of my shift seem to drag on. My eyes continuously drift back to the clock on the wall, counting down the minutes remaining.
"He's waiting for me" I think. "I don't want to go but for some reason I feel as though I need to. As if something terrible will happen if I don't."
I hurry to retrieve my purse from my cubby in the kitchen. I rush towards the front door, nearly bowling over Beth.
" Sorry, and thanks for earlier!" I yell over my shoulder as I pass her by. As I turn my head back towards the front door I see Xander enter, his blonde hair waving like one of those guys in the hair commercials.
"Sylvie." His smooth voice falls over me like a warm, fuzzy blanket on a cold evening. "Let's take a walk"
"Sure." I say, at the same time realising I hadn't even told him my name. "So how do you know my name?"
"I simply asked your co-worker. The blonde one? Beth, I think her name was." He answers as he holds out my coat for me to shrug my arms into.
"Such a gentleman" I think, barely containing the urge to roll my eyes.
"Makes sense," I say.
"She is always trying to set me up with customers she thinks are good looking" I think.
After walking for a time in comfortable silence, my curiosity begins to get the better of me.
"So, where are we headed?"
"Down to the park. I thought the fresh air would do us both so good. Also, it would be harder for you to spill any more coffee."
I sigh. "I'm not going to live that down am I?"
"Not for a long time yet" He says, chuckling slightly.
We continue to walk down the streets, when he suddenly asks "How much do you know about your family?"
"Um, not a lot actually. I was adopted." I say, a little taken aback by his question.
"What sort of person asks about someone's family before asking them anything about themselves? This just keeps getting weirder and weirder." I think before saying "Why's that?"
"Well, to be perfectly honest, I have been searching for you for the last year." He states.
"Wait searching for me? What is he some kind of long lost relative looking for a hand out or something? If that's the case he has chosen the wrong relative." I think, trying to stay calm.
"I think, maybe, I should go." I say turning to leave.
Xander's hand snaps out and grabs my arm hard enough to bruise. He yanks me around to face him, his eyes beginning to flash gold. "You will stay," he commands. "And listen to what I have to say."
My body leaps to do his bidding even though in my mind I'm screaming "Run! Run, get out of here!". My body moves against my will and turns back to him, waiting for him to begin talking like a dog waiting for its master to place down its food bowl.